Chapter Summaries

A giant Blue Whale surfaced beside the ship to feed on Siren corpses and jellyfish, but a huge red tentacle suddenly seized it and began dragging it underwater. The Wizards and students faced a new threat as the chapter ended.

• Tens of thousands of glowing jellyfish surfaced, revealing an enormous shadow circling the giant ship.
• The shadow surfaced as a fish over sixty meters long, which the Wizards identified as a rare Giant Sea Fish, also called a Floating Island Fish or Iceberg Fish.
• Richard recognized the creature as a Blue Whale, while the Wizards watched warily to see whether it would attack the ship.
• The Blue Whale swallowed seawater along with nearby Siren corpses and jellyfish, then finished feeding and turned to leave.
• A blood-red tentacle hundreds of meters long burst from the deep and wrapped around the Blue Whale, preparing to drag it underwater.

A giant squid attacked the ship, and the four Wizards fought to protect the students. After two students were killed and the rest were told to stay on deck, the battle remained underway.

• Six blood-red tentacles dragged the Blue Whale beneath the sea.
• The Tentacle Monster seized the ship, and Dempsey and the other Wizards attacked until it released the vessel.
• Dempsey spotted a colossal squid over a hundred meters long, which Wizard Louis identified as an Ancient Giant Squid.
• The Giant Squid attacked the ship, and the four Wizards used Seawater Giant Arms to fend off its tentacles.
• One tentacle struck the deck, killing two students; Quinton told the others to hide below deck, but Dempsey ordered them to stay on deck.

Dempsey and the other Wizards fought off the Giant Squid, and Dempsey severed part of one tentacle to make it stop attacking the ship. When the squid stayed nearby, Richard was ordered to return the severed piece, and he suspected it held something important.

• Dempsey warned the students to stay on deck and told Quinton that they might escape more easily from there if the ship began sinking.
• Dempsey asked Siver and the other Wizards to restrain a tentacle while he prepared a spell to wound the Giant Squid.
• Siver froze the squid's tentacle in Ice Crystal Giant Arms as Quinton, Louis, and Siver held off its other attacks.
• Dempsey's golden spell severed part of the trapped tentacle, and the Giant Squid stopped attacking but continued following the ship.
• Dempsey decided to return the severed tentacle to the squid, and Siver ordered Richard to push it into the sea.
• Richard approached the tentacle, hoping to collect tissue for future study, and wondered why the squid seemed so determined to recover it.

Richard secretly removed an object hidden inside the Giant Squid’s severed feeding arm, and Wizard Siver returned the tissue to the squid. The squid later caught up with the ship, prompting Dempsey and the other Wizards to prepare for another fight while Richard suspected his theft had caused the renewed pursuit.

• Richard found a bloodied white thread hidden in the feeding arm, pulled out the object attached to it, and concealed it in his Space Ring.
• Wizard Siver sent the feeding arm tissue into the sea, and the Giant Squid stopped following the ship after retrieving it.
• Dempsey detected the Ancient Giant Squid catching up and revealed that his earlier spell had left energy inside it that let him track it.
• Dempsey drank three potions, flew into the darkness, and led Siver and the other two Wizards away to fight the squid.
• Richard suspected the squid had pursued the ship because he had taken the hidden object, and he kept quiet about what he had done.

After Dempsey and the other Wizards defeated the Giant Squid, Richard examined an object he had taken from its sucker tissue and discovered it was a sealed glass bottle. The bottle appeared to be a drift bottle, but its contents remained unknown.

• Richard and the others waited anxiously for the battle to end, then saw Siver, Louis, Quinton, and Dempsey return to the ship.
• Dempsey dropped a huge piece of the Giant Squid onto the deck, revealing that the Wizards had won, and ordered Porter to preserve it as a trophy.
• Porter organized the Wizard Apprentices to store the squid flesh, repair the damaged deck, and clean up the remains.
• Richard returned to his cabin, left sleeping Pandora undisturbed, and took out the object he had recovered from the squid's sucker tissue.
• Richard removed a tough white thread and cleaned the blood and flesh from the cylindrical object, revealing a sturdy, sealed glass bottle.

Richard tried to open the Drift Bottle and discovered that its Sealing Wax released a powerful hallucinogen that created realistic illusions. After testing the effect and preserving the bottle, he returned his attention to what might be inside it.

• Richard reasoned that the Drift Bottle might have been placed inside the Giant Squid long ago or had affected the squid's growth and lifespan.
• Richard heated the bottle's Sealing Wax and heard whispers accusing him of stealing a treasure and threatening him with punishment.
• A hunched old man appeared and attacked Richard with a knife, but Richard recognized the scene as an illusion and let the hallucination pass.
• Richard found that the Sealing Wax's smoke caused highly realistic hallucinations and considered using it against enemies.
• Richard returned to the Drift Bottle, still intent on discovering what it contained.

Richard discovered complex magic patterns inside the glass bottle and later searched the sea for the wounded Giant Squid, but found no corpse. Far away, a black-robed figure killed the Giant Squid and then boarded the giant ship, vowing revenge on the White Stone Tower.

• Richard scraped the hallucinogenic sealing wax from the Drift Bottle and found parchment written in an unknown language.
• Richard noticed complex magic patterns etched inside the glass bottle and suspected they had affected the Giant Squid.
• Richard left his body, avoided the meditating Wizards, and searched underwater for the Giant Squid's corpse without finding it.
• The wounded Giant Squid surfaced far from the ship, where a black-robed figure appeared and spoke of catching up with the people of the White Stone Tower.
• The black-robed figure vanished, then caused the Giant Squid to explode, and later boarded the ship while promising revenge on the White Stone Tower.

Richard inscribed Pierce's Nerve Sensitivity Technique onto Ring No.1 and tested it with a Trial Keen Potion, greatly amplifying his perception. The next morning, he learned that three sailors had died aboard the ship, and Gelo began explaining what had happened.

• Richard carved the spell pattern for Pierce's Nerve Sensitivity Technique into Ring No.1 using the Space Iron Ring.
• Richard activated the technique and combined it with a Trial Keen Potion to test how it heightened his senses.
• Richard sensed a heavy impact from the deck above, then ended the spell and recorded his observations.
• At dawn, Richard followed a gathering onto the deck and asked Gelo and Nancy what had happened.
• Nancy told Richard that a sailor had died and that this was the third sailor to die in three days; Gelo tried to explain, but Nancy spoke over him.

Nancy and Richard discussed the three sailors found dead beneath the mast, and Richard suspected the murders were meant to create fear and prepare for something more. Porter, the powerful Wizard Apprentice tasked with maintaining order, arrived at the scene.

• Nancy told Richard that three sailors had been found dead beneath the mast on three consecutive mornings, each with more severe injuries.
• Nancy concluded the deaths were deliberate murders but could not understand the motive or method.
• Richard considered that the killer might be using the murders to spread fear and prepare for a larger plan, but kept his theory to himself.
• Richard noticed Porter approaching, and Nancy and Gelo saw him arrive beside the crowd.

After the seventh day without a sailor’s death, Richard suspected the killer was moving into a new phase and continued researching the Drift Bottle’s magic patterns. The chapter ended when he sensed something in a corner of the cabin and turned to investigate.

• Porter had the latest sailor’s corpse removed, cleaned the deck, and assured the students that the White Stone Tower would protect them.
• The sailor deaths continued at one per day until no one died on the seventh day, which Richard viewed as a warning rather than a relief.
• Pandora broke a White Jade Shard while trying to carve a magic pattern, quit in frustration, and went to sleep.
• Richard reviewed his copied Drift Bottle patterns and began testing ways to isolate their biological effects.
• After working for a long time, Richard sensed something in a corner of the cabin and abruptly turned toward it.

Richard sensed an unseen watcher in his cabin, then found three murdered students in the corridor and collected black powder from the scene. Matching it to evidence from Hua Er’s death and the Black-Robed Man’s disappearance, he concluded that the killer was likely the Black-Robed Man, who had boarded the ship to continue sabotaging the White Stone Tower.

• Richard activated Pierce's Nerve Sensitivity Technique and prepared to attack the unseen watcher with the Crystal Skull, but the presence vanished.
• Richard opened his cabin door and found three dead students whose blood formed a Pentagram Array in the corridor.
• Richard recognized the students as people who had followed Porter and helped dispose of the earlier victims.
• Richard quietly collected black powder from beside the corpses and returned to his cabin without reporting the murders.
• Richard compared the powder with samples from the Golden Wine Cup Inn and the place where the Black-Robed Man vanished, then judged that the Black-Robed Man was likely the killer.

After three more students were found murdered, Richard discussed the killings with Nancy and Gelo as suspicion and fear spread through the ship. Porter admitted responsibility for failing to protect everyone and vowed to patrol the ship and put himself in the murderer’s path.

• Richard left his cabin after students discovered the bodies of Robert, Clark, and Darnay in the corridor.
• Nancy questioned Gelo about whether he had heard anything and told him bluntly that his abilities would not save him if the murderer targeted him.
• Richard suggested that the murderer might target someone of higher status next, and Porter arrived with new students and three Wizard Apprentices.
• Porter admitted that he had failed to stop the killings and accepted responsibility for protecting everyone.
• Porter announced that he would lead patrols and have Wizard Apprentices guard the lower cabin floors, telling the crowd to let the murderer kill him first.

Porter patrolled the cabins where Wizard Apprentices stood night watch amid an unexplained series of killings. He found no signs of trouble, and Sherry kept him talking with teasing advances while the danger remained unresolved.

• Porter checked on Darnell, who reported that nothing unusual had happened during his watch and said Wizard Louis had found no leads.
• Porter told Darnell that Teacher Dempsey had said much the same, and warned him to stay alert as the teachers grew angry over the killings.
• Porter went to the Second Floor Cabin and found Sherry on watch, where she admitted she had waved him over because she wanted company.
• Sherry grabbed Porter's face and made him promise not to turn away while they talked.
• Sherry accused Porter of molesting her after he accidentally breathed on her, then laughed and admitted she was teasing him.
• Porter asked Sherry to release his hands, but she refused until he promised her one thing.

Porter discovered that Parker, Sherry, and Darnell had vanished from their posts, found blood in the first-floor corridor, and armed himself while searching the ship. He reached the deck to check on the remaining Wizard Apprentice and froze at the sight before him.

• Porter left Sherry after agreeing to treat her to a meal when they returned to the academy.
• Porter found the first-floor corridor empty and discovered a drop of blood where Parker should have been.
• Porter found Sherry missing from the second-floor corridor and Darnell missing from the third-floor corridor.
• Porter warned a student not to open the door carelessly at night, then hurried to the deck to check on the Wizard Apprentice there.
• Porter stepped onto the deck, froze, and stared at the scene before him.

After Sherry, Parker, Darnell, and Garth died aboard the giant ship, Porter was left devastated and went to alert the Wizards. Richard concluded that the murders were meant to draw the Wizards into a final confrontation and began preparing for danger while questioning the mysterious black powder left in his cabin.

• Porter found Sherry, Parker, Darnell, and Garth standing motionless on the deck, bleeding from their eyes until they collapsed and died.
• Porter accidentally killed a seabird with the blood-red gemstone, then fell to his knees before staggering off to knock on the Wizards' cabin door.
• Richard realized the murders had escalated deliberately to provoke the Wizards and feared the culprit might kill them all.
• Richard found Pandora asleep under the bed, returned her to it, and collected a pile of black powder from the cabin corner.
• Richard wondered what the other side intended and decided to prepare in case they turned hostile.

Four Wizards argued over how to respond to the killings aboard the ship, and Dempsey urged them to unite against the hidden attacker. A black-robed man appeared in their cabin, clapping with green flames burning in his eyes.

• Several days passed without further deaths, while fear and rumors spread among the students aboard the ship.
• Four nights later, Siver, Louis, Quinton, and Dempsey discussed the killer and argued over their losses and whether to keep waiting.
• Quinton insisted the killer had to be found and punished, while Louis mocked him for claiming he could do better than the group.
• Dempsey stopped their infighting, promised compensation for lost students, and warned that the attacker might target the Wizards next.
• A black-robed man appeared silently in the cabin and clapped as the four Wizards sprang into combat stances.

The Black-Robed Man revealed that he had killed people aboard the ship to take revenge on White Stone Tower, then fought the four Wizards as the battle moved out over the sea. Richard watched with Nancy and Gelo, falsely assuring them the Wizards would win, before alarmed cries rose from the deck.

• The Black-Robed Man told the four Wizards that he had killed people from White Stone Tower and aboard the ship to avenge his past persecution.
• The four Wizards attacked the Black-Robed Man, and their battle shook the giant ship before moving farther out to sea.
• Richard steadied the cabin objects during the explosions, left Pandora asleep on the floor, and went up to the deck.
• Nancy and Gelo asked Richard whether the Wizards would win, and Richard claimed they would while warning that their safety depended on it.
• People on the deck suddenly cried out and pointed toward the distant sea.

Wizard Dempsey returned alone to the ship after the battle and falsely told the students that the murderer had been defeated. His collapse after being asked about the missing Wizards revealed that the group had suffered a devastating defeat.

• After a long wait, Dempsey landed on the deck alone, and the students initially believed the battle had been won.
• Dempsey recalled that the enemy had killed the other three Wizards and nearly killed him with a spell of overwhelming destructive power.
• Dempsey told the students that the murderer had been killed and ordered Porter to maintain order while everyone returned to their cabins.
• Demi, Luther, and Robin asked Dempsey about their missing teachers, but he spat blood and collapsed before answering.
• Porter carried Dempsey into his cabin to fetch a potion, while the remaining Wizard Apprentices realized their teachers were probably dead.

Richard met the Black-Robed Man for the third time in his cabin and questioned him about his motives for targeting the White Stone Tower. The Black-Robed Man admitted he sought revenge and began to explain, but interrupted Richard before he could continue.

• Richard entered his cabin and found the Black-Robed Man examining items on the table while Pandora slept on the bed.
• Richard kept the Crystal Skull ready and corrected the Black-Robed Man, saying they had met twice before and this was their third meeting.
• The Black-Robed Man joked with Richard, then explained that he had carried Pandora back to the bed after their battle shook her off it.
• The Black-Robed Man offered to let Richard ask the first question, and Richard asked why he was targeting the White Stone Tower.
• The Black-Robed Man said the White Stone Tower had put him through unpleasant experiences and that he wanted revenge, then suddenly interrupted Richard.

Richard explained that his unusual abilities came from studying the principles behind magic, then pressed the Black-Robed Man to explain why he had spared him. The man revealed they had met before, and Richard began identifying him through his unchanged eyes.

• The Black-Robed Man asked Richard who he was, and Richard described his scientific approach to studying spells.
• Richard asked why the Black-Robed Man had not killed him, and the man said he had two reasons, including a favorable impression of Richard.
• Richard inferred that their past connection involved gold coins and asked to see the man's face and eyes.
• The Black-Robed Man removed his hood and extinguished the flames in his eyes, while Richard said he could recognize him by his iris.